Trish Knits.com

Tag: rainbow

  • She Did It!

    Diana is wearing her completed pink scarf

    Yay, Diana! She finally finished her first-ever scarf the other day and is posing for the camera. She kept asking me, “Do I HAVE to smile?” Though she did actually want to do the photo, even if the photo makes her look like an unwilling participant.

    She used two strands of pink fingering yarn, held together throughout. They were two different shades of pink. I don’t remember what yarn, as she started the project TWO years ago and immediately discarded the ball bands. Oh well. She learned to knit in October of 2005 (I think!) thanks to assistance from Genia. She’s already cast on again for an iPod cozy, made with some balls of KnitPicks Shine Sport that I had laying around. It’s based on the pattern in the Stitch n Bitch book but we’re customizing it to fit her Nano, which is smaller than the case that the original pattern calls for. I can’t help secretly hoping that she is getting the knitting bug, so I won’t be alone in my house anymore, haha! (My five-year-old says he would like to knit too, but I know he’s not patient enough yet, so we’ll see if he wants to in a few years’ time.)


    Meanwhile …

    rainbow stripey blanket in progress again

    I’m still knitting away on my rainbow stripey baby blanket. I’m about to embark on a long road trip so I hope that by the time I return it will be about as big as it’s going to get. I am getting lots of compliments every time I get caught knitting in public with this thing, so I guess that’s a good sign. I’m thinking I should also bring something smaller along to knit on while waiting in lines and such. But then again… that would risk getting distracted by another project at a time when I can’t afford losing interest in this one. Oh, help!

  • Blankety Goodness

    rainbow stripey blanket in progress again

    Welp, it’s been a few weeks so I thought I would show a recent photo of the blankie…. taken this evening as I began the 10-row segment of purpleness! Purple of course is my most favorite color, and so far when it came up in the randomness of it, the segment was only two rows wide… waaaah. So I should get my purple fix this go round.

    Of course, it isn’t really random at all. See my April 5 entry to learn the methodology for this project, if you haven’t heard it already! (Yes, I’m a geek; there’s a spreadsheet behind it.)

    I also have made a major decision about this blankie. I am leaving in a couple of weeks for a vacation and I will be spending approximately 28 hours in the car, plus lots of free knitting time in the evenings. However much knitting I get done during that time, when I get home, I think I am going to call it DONE. It’s definitely not wide enough now, but hopefully it will be by then. I really have been futzing with this baby blanket since February, between deciding on a design and trying and frogging many things. I am SO longing to make a felted hat… to feel the mushing of the wool in my hands and to create something warm for winter. Plus, the baby for whom this blanket is for is due to arrive at the end of this month. I really don’t want this to be his Christmas gift.

    So, I hope my plan works, and that it will be big enough when I get back. Wish me luck!



    It was knit night at my house, and I had lots of help:

    Zoe helps me knit
    This is my knitting helper, Zöe, who is never far behind when I pull out my knitting, never wants me to get any stitching done! As soon as I pull my knitting out, she always jumps up on the couch for some scratchin’! I always seem to knit while sitting next to the sofa in my den, so I have a place to fling my knitting stuff while I work.


    Diana adds a couple rows to her scarf

    Diana even got in on the knit action tonight. We watched the movie Aquamarine tonight and she added about 5 rows to her scarf. She keeps asking, “When will it be done, mom?” to which I reply that the rule of thumb for a scarf is to make it as long as the wearer is tall. Problem is, she’s been working on the same scarf for two years, and has gotten lots taller in that time! Haha.


    Go, Eunny!

    Fall Interweave Knits

    I just received my copy of the Fall Interweave Knits in the mail yesterday. (I find it ironic that the subheading says 29 knits to chase the chill, and it was in the 90s yesterday!) It was the debut issue of their new editor, Eunny Jang, who is a fabulous knitter and I love her work, and I was wondering how she’d do with the magazine. She’s so young, and it’s a huge job for anyone, let alone someone who is only in her mid-20s! But so far, I am impressed. (I’m also pulling for her as a local girl… she’s a DC-area native.)

    There are several projects I want to make from this, including Anne Budd’s Tyrolean socks and Teva Durham’s concentric vest. The magazine explores the concept of organic yarns, and features lots of projects that include cables in the design. There’s also a cute grouping of hats and a really neat looking pair of fingerless mitts I’d like to try. Also, if ever I do get the courage to do a sweater, quite a few of them in this issue are sized up to my size. I actually loved this magazine this time! I only wish there had been a cable-y throw in the issue to complement the sweaters.

    Wow, I had a lot to write about tonight. More next time!

  • A Different Perspective

    vertical view of striped blanket

    Hello again! This time I decided to photograph my blankie-in-progress vertically so it would be easy to see how big it actually is. Wow! No wonder it is taking me so long to work on this. I think even I didn’t really know how big it was or how well it was progressing. Now I have renewed energy and I do think I can get this done!

    (I’m still glad I have 28 hours in the car coming up in August…. lots of knitting time! I talked to the expectant mom last week and she said that the doctor thinks she’ll go early, so it may not be done in time, but I will get there!)

    I’ve been knitting to a new (to me) podcast recently. I finally subscribed to Quirky Nomads after hearing host Sage Tyrtle participate so much in Cast On. (Where are you, Brenda? I’ve only been listening for a couple of months and I’m all caught up, and I miss you!) Quirky Nomads is definitely different, but fun. Check it out!


    Sennheiser MX 75 Headphones

    And to enhance my listening experience, I replaced the standard earbuds on my iPod with these, the MX75 Sport Earbuds by Sennheiser. Generally I dislike earbuds, but I find myself listening to the iPod while falling asleep at night very often, and the earbuds are less fussy… except of course that they always fell out of my ears. These Sennheisers have an interesting little doohicky at the top that helps to anchor the earbuds to the ear. They also come with rubber disks of varying sizes so you can mix and match and find the sizes that provide a perfect fit. And, they work! And sound great, too.

    I’ve ordered my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on audiobook, so with the iPod and my new earbuds, and lots of knitting to do, I’ll be set for a while.

    Happy knitting!

  • Happy Knitting Day!

    rainbow stripey blanket in progress again

    So today was spent as every 4th of July is at my house — at the Whitehall Pool and Tennis Club, enjoying a fun picnic and great company. As per usual for me, my time at the pool was spent with much knitting! I know I’ve said it about a thousand times, but I am getting so bored with this project! My intentions are honorable and I will keep going, as this is a baby blankie for a dear friend who is expecting her first. I’m even growing sick of the rainbow colorway, but I keep my energy up because people keep coming up to me at the pool and telling me how pretty it is. Sometimes I choose to believe them, and sometimes I just nod and smile, knowing full well that they can notice this blindingly bright blanket in progress from hundreds of yards away! I do hope that my friend will like it in the end, even though I am growing increasingly doubtful that the project will be done before the baby gets here.


    Now Playing on an iPod Near Me…

    Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Audiobook CD cover

    So while I’m knitting at the pool, I’m listening to the audio version of “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.” I am quite ashamed to admit this, but when I picked up knitting about 4 years ago, I all but stopped reading. (Except for knitting books!) Prior to being a knitter I was an avid reader and I especially loved the Harry Potter series. But here I am, two years after the release of this book, and only weeks away from the release of the ultimate chapter in the series, and I still had not read the book in its entirety. Egad, how awful this was, especially given that my husband arranged for Amazon to deliver it on the very day it was released. I am truly ashamed.

    But, I must admit… a year ago I purchased the Audio CD version. I had heard that the books were very well “performed” by Jim Dale, and wow! What a treat for the ears this is! I wish I had listened to it long ago. If you’re a knitter AND a Harry Potter fan, these Audiobooks are the way to go! They are pricey, but I am also tempted to get the one for “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” since the movie is coming out soon. I need to refresh my memory a bit!

    Anyway, that’s my update for now. Exciting, eh? We’re expecting severe summer storms so I’d better log off for now. Hope all in the US are enjoying the 4th!

  • Blankie Update Again

    rainbow stripey blanket in progress

    Well, it’s been a while since I’ve written an actual post, so I thought I would show an update on my progress with the rainbow striped blankie I’m working on. It’s finally starting to look like a blanket! But alas, I have a long way to go!

    If you’ve never seen my blankie before today, check out my April 5 post to learn about my methodology. It looks random but it isn’t, and I’m still looking forward to each color change as it occurs.The baby that will be the recipient of this is due in late August and I am worried that I won’t be done in time. Thankfully we have a trip to Florida coming up in August, which will mean at least 28 hours of knitting time in the car. That should help! Don’t tell anyone, but I think I am actually looking more forward to the car ride than the vacation itself. Yes, we’re going to Disney in August. (Have you checked their website lately? The music is obnoxious!!)

    Ok, it’s crazy to go in August, but the kids don’t have day camp then and we’d need to take off anyway to take care of them. I’m going to try to be “good” when we go there, but I hear that they don’t let people in wheelchairs ride the wheelchair accessible rides unless you get out of your own wheelchair and ride in one of theirs. This of course assumes that the wheelchair user can actually stand up or move easily, which hey, might apply to some people in wheelchairs, but leaves a lot of folks out, sweating in the heat. Something tells me I’m going to get lots of knitting done on this trip!

    Podcasts

    I am listening to several podcasts this summer. My favorites are of course Cast On, the KnitPicks Podcast, and Stitch Stud and his Bride. Of course I am partial to Cast On, and what fun! Brenda Dayne is taking her listeners to “camp” this summer! I shall enjoy this immensely while knitting by the pool. I admit to being secretly envious of all of those knitters who attend knitting camps, cruises or other events, and maybe this series will help me to feel a sense of community even when I am knitting in solitude.

    I do have to say that even though it is hard for me not to view the KnitPicks podcast with a degree of skepticism, given that after all, they sell the products they rave about, it is very well produced and fun to listen to.

    And stitch stud? So far I’m just enjoying the “guy” perspective on knitting. Check these out! All three are great things to knit by, and no, you don’t need an iPod to listen.

  • Blankie Update

    rainbow baby blanket in progressWell, it’s taken me about a week to come down from The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I wish it could be more than once a year. I scored some really lovely denim blue silk from Tess Yarns, in what I think is enough to knit a top for myself. But before I can even think about conquering my fears of knitting clothing, I must finish the rainbow baby blanket I’ve been working on. As you can see in the photo, I have a looooooooong way to go! I’m thanking goodness that I have a long car trip coming up later this summer. I’m looking forward to the knitting time in the car almost as much or more than I am the vacation itself. Is that crazy, or what? I have my iPod and my knitting…. what else could I want?

    I’m really enjoying the striped blanket though, it looks random, but it’s not really, and every time I change colors I have a brief feeling of surprise. I think it’s the color changes that are keeping my motivation going. If you’d like to see a description of my method for this project, go to the April 5 entry.

    Anyway, that’s what’s going on in my knitting world this week. The pool opens for the season on Saturday, and I’m looking forward to a summer filled with knitting.